College Times

The Earps are in an enviable position. The Valley band's sound - country, punk and '80s metal best described as "cowpunk" or, in their own words, "butt rockabilly" - has garnered fans from both the local punk and alt-country scenes. The Earps are one of the few bands that could play on a country bill at the Yucca Tap Room on a Friday night and then play to a heavy metal audience at Hollywood Alley on Saturday.

"We're extremely fortunate where we can pretty much play on any bill and kind of fit," said singer/guitarist Hotwheels McGregor.

The band members' stage names play into the cowpunk imagery. McGregor is joined by drummer Marvelous Matt Maverick, bassist Buckshot George and a lead guitarist known simply as Ump. Onstage, the Earps typically wear jeans, t-shirts and broken-in cowboy hats. Ump's guitar features a Mopar logo while McGregor's sports a Dixie flag.

The Earps have established themselves locally and around the Southwest, playing frequent shows in Albuquerque, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, as well as their "home away from home," Las Vegas.

Playing a show in Vegas typically results in partying until the sun comes up, McGregor said. The Earps favorite Vegas venue is the Double Down, where George got a fast introduction to the Vegas lifestyle.

"The first time I went to take a piss in the Double Down, there was a guy taking a shit, a guy pissing on the wall and a dude getting a blowjob," George said.

The band's hard-partying ways are chronicled in the lyrics of their debut album, Here Come The Earps, which was released nationally by Denver-based indie label Big Bender Records. More than a year in the making, the album was recorded by Mike Bolenbach at Full Well Studios in Phoenix.

While many local bands blame the Valley's stagnant music scene on fickle fans or a lack of venues, the Earps don't hesitate to place some of the blame on Valley bands themselves.

"In Phoenix, for every 10 bands, maybe two are worth seeing," McGregor said.

The Earps have been together since 2003, and the time span between forming and releasing their first album was a conscious decision, McGregor said.

"You'll see a band that will fucking form in November, and then they'll have a CD in December," McGregor said. "You don't grow as a band. You don't know how to play the songs. You just record it quick and then you wonder why you suck."

While recording an album and playing constant gigs have been big keys to the band's success, it has not worked wonders for their love lives. McGregor said he's had difficulty finding a girlfriend who won't force him to choose between her and the band.

"It's a bad country song when it comes to that respect," Ump said. "I've been married three times already."

"When we started recording this record, everybody was living with girls," George said. "By the time it was finished, everybody was living on couches."

The Earps CD release w/Big Tex and the Blazing Pintos, Liquor Store Junkies, Last Exit, 1425 W. Southern Avenue, Tempe, 480.557.6656, May 4, 9 p.m., $5

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